


lesbians lie : craquaria

by fueledbymemes



Category: RuPaul's Drag Race RPF
Genre: 80s AU, Aquaria, Craquaria - Freeform, F/F, Lesbian AU, M/M, Miz Cracker - Freeform, RuPaul's Drag Race References, Side Pearlet, Trigger Warning prostitution, Trigger warning homophobia, trigger warning mentions of drugs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-25
Updated: 2019-10-15
Packaged: 2020-07-19 20:46:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,553
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19980259
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fueledbymemes/pseuds/fueledbymemes
Summary: aquaria's home is new york city. brianna just moved from san francisco. 1986 au!





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> a/n: craquaria 80s au! i don't watch stranger things so i'm sorry if this isn't what you imagined- the story is gonna be mainly centered around aquaria, so brianna isn't gonna be introduced until the end of this chapter. the first chapter is an introduction to the characters, so it's slow. chapter two is a lot more eventful! can also be found on the @/artificialqueens blog on tumblr or on wattpad. enjoy:)
> 
> lowercase intentional

it wasn't unusual for aquaria and her friends to be around each other at any time of day. they all had a close and special bond. aquaria was almost like a mother to them, she looked after them. they were all treasures.

the first person she had met in the group was jason. it was five years ago when aquaria was 21 and jason was 20, nearly a month after aquaria came to the manhattan area of new york city.

[flashback, five years ago.]

aquaria had a long week. she lost most of her money after finally buying an apartment and was busy working double-shifts every day at a restaurant. she was finally living on her own though, and wouldn't have it any other way.

it was mid-november, so the new york nights were cold. she didn't have a car yet and saw no taxis on the street (although she didn't even know if she could afford one), and decided to make her way home. she had worked a closing shift, so by the time she got out and walked all this distance, it was about 12:30 am.

during her walk back she passed a gay bar, which she knew where all of them were. it wasn't tempting her anyway since it was a men-only sex club. 

aquaria's platinum blonde hair was back in a pony tail as she walked down the sidewalk. her heels were clicking down on the cement and it only reminded her of how tired her feet were. her dark jeans and black winter coat hid her in the night while she walked the basically empty pavement.

whilst walking passed the club, she was distracted by a boy leaning against the wall from outside the bar. he looked young, and the cigarette he was smoking wasn't going to help him look that way forever. he had to be cold, he was only wearing black jeans with a black and white button up shirt. granted, he had on a leather jacket, but it seemed to be for fashion and not for protection of the cold night air.

aquaria stopped in front of him and smiled fondly, "hey, are you alright? i'm sure it's warmer inside." she said and gestures to the door. "i have a pair of gloves if you'd like." she offered.

the man looked up from his cigarette. the street lights weren't that bright, but it was still easy to see his cold hands shaking as he took a drag. he brushed his lengthy brown hair from his face to get a better look at the woman. "can't. it's membership only and i'm only 20. besides, that's not technically what i'm here for." he said. 

aquaria nodded, humming along with the pieced together information. "i think i know what you're 'here for', but it'd be easier if you tell me." she said.

"what the hell does it look like, lady?" he asked and dropped his cigarette, stepping on it to burn it out. "i'm waiting outside a nightclub, i'm not properly dressed, it's pitch black outside, and i'm under 21. i'm a male prostitute, i gotta get money somehow."

"well with this hiv thing going on, are you sure that's what you outta do? i know this 24 hour coffee shop down the road, and-" aquaria responded, trying to help.

"-look, that's nice. i'm not going anywhere until someone offers me a night. it's been rough, i got outed by my sister and i'm busy getting paid to hop from bed to bed. i got no friends and got no money. you can run away now so i don't give you my homo-disease." the stranger replied, defensive over himself.

aquaria raised an eyebrow, scoffing at his claims. "look, i'm sorry about the family problems. i'm not gonna run away from you or anything, i don't even want a night with you hon, i'm a lesbian. i just got an apartment, and you can stay there if you promise to get a real job. get yourself a boyfriend or something, c'mon. you seem like a damn smart guy." she said and reached in her pocket for the pair of gloves, offering them. "i'm aquaria."

the guy chuckled and took the gloves as a truce, he just realized that is was useless to blow up on her. "is that your stage name?" he asked teasingly.

"very funny, i've heard that one before." she responded.

"sorry, sorry. i'm jason." he said and put on the gloves. "thank you so much, i- are you sure though? i don't wanna mess up anything." jason countered.

"trust me, i'm sure." aquaria responded and smiled fondly. "i have about fifteen minutes left of a walk, you wanna come along?" she asked.

"i'd love to."

[current time.]

ever since, jason and aquaria have had a pretty sacred bond. she helped him get him back on his feet, and live steady life. he helped her get her shit together mentally and to stop stressing so damn much. they were a good match and it's still a good friendship.

jason wasn't the only person she's picked up though, there was also matt. she had met him in different circumstances, but she's happy she met him. she's even happier because him and jason got along well. too well. she did see it coming when she found out that matt and jason started becoming more than friends. as long as they were having a good time, then so was she. 

although, when aquaria met matt she was 23 and matt would've been 21. which was about two years after her and jason met.

[flashback, three years ago.]

aquaria just got off work and instead of taking a taxi to the apartment, she had taken one over to central park. she was trying to get that job opening for the seventeen magazine. so of course, she had been fixing up her portfolio. if she could get her dream job over her stupid waitress life, she'd do it in a heartbeat.

it was still daylight, she got off at 4 pm that day. there was a lot of people there, as usual. either tourists or families taking their kids to play after school. it was nice, aquaria liked the diverse population of new york, she always has.

as she walked to a park bench, aquaria passed a group of guys. from the sound of arguing and the visual of three against one, aquaria was worried for the dirty blonde boy in the acid washed denim jacket.

it was nothing physical, so maybe the guy did something to be targeted. maybe he kissed the leader's little sister, maybe he scratched their car, maybe he brought them coke instead of pepsi. whatever it was, it wasn't aquaria's business- so she walked past and pretended she didn't hear anything.

that lasted for maybe twenty seconds maximum, because when she heard one of the tougher guys raise his voice, aquaria slowed down and contemplated turning around. but when she heard the same voice yell 'faggot' followed by the sound of a body thumping to the ground, aquaria turned around.

she dropped her folder and pencil to the ground carelessly and ran over to the fight with a plan. "boys, boys!" aquaria yelled, knowing that none of them would dare to hit a girl. "what the hell are you doing to my boyfriend?! god, what'd he ever do to you?" she yelled and pushed them out of the way.

"what?" one of the guys asked silently to himself.

"shut up," the main guy said and turned to aquaria. "are you sure he's your boyfriend?" he asked.

"uh, yeah?" aquaria said as if it was a stupid question and offered her hand to the blonde stranger. 'go along with it' she mouthed to him, which he nodded and got up.

"well you know that your 'boyfriend' was caught kissing a guy last night?" he asked.

"well, i'm about to make him kiss you if you and your little friends don't leave." aquaria snapped back, stepping closer to mr. tough guy to be in his face. "c'mon, fuck off." she said and pushed his chest.

"god, we were just playing around." he said and rolled his eyes, gesturing to his friends to leave with him as he turned around and spat in the blonde boy's direction before leaving.

aquaria sighed and turned to the stranger. "i'm aquaria." she introduced and offered her hand once again.

"matt," he replied and shook her hand. "thank you so much. i don't even know how to repay you."

aquaria shrugged and took her hand back. "don't worry about it. i heard what they called you and i knew i had to save your ass, i'd want someone to do the same for me." she reasoned. "are you living on your own, then?" she asked.

"define 'on my own' and i'll give an answer." matt suggested.

"as in you're living on a fucking park bench?" aquaria said. "listen, i can help you. i'm living in an apartment near here. i'm living with another really nice guy, his name is jason. i'm a lesbian, he's gay, it'll all work out." she promised. 

matt exhaled, it was a lot to take in. "i mean, god- yeah. are you sure though? three might be a crowd. i don't have a job and i only have like $200 with me." 

"listen, it's okay. we'll all help out each other. i'm a waitress, jason works at a gas station. when we get there, i can just ask for a newspaper and we can look for who's hiring. jason and i are almost saved up for a car, and if you'd pitch in one day that would be literally amazing." aquaria said. "it's no problem at all, people like us gotta stick together."

matt smiled and nodded, "yeah. yeah, you're right. okay, i'm in. thanks so much, aquaria."

"don't worry about it, i got you." aquaria responded after returning the smile.

[current time.]

"boys! dinner's on the table!" aquaria called out from the kitchen, setting out three made plates. she wasn't an excellent cook, but it was her turn to handle dinner that night. whipping up something wasn't hard for her, especially with her italian taste.

ever since the three of them started a life together, they moved to a better apartment complex and finally got a car. usually jason takes it to work since he goes from place to place at his new job. the other two use a taxi.

jason worked at some fancy catering place, matt got a cosmetology license and works at a salon, and aquaria worked hard enough to get a job for seventeen- but she's still only an assistant. it's fine with her, she's only been there for two years anyway.

aquaria let her hair down from her pony tail and started getting silverware and napkins to put on the table.

jason was the first to walk in the kitchen, followed by matt who was right behind him. "you know, aquaria. just because you're italian, that doesn't mean you gotta make some form of pasta every time it's your turn to cook." he joked and sat down at the table.

aquaria rolled her eyes and handed out the silverware and napkins to them. "you know, jason. just because you're scared of the oven that doesn't mean you gotta order takeout every time it's your turn to cook." she joked back and sat down.

"listen, don't make fun of me just because i don't want to cause a fire. i can't be trusted, dude." jason defended.

"now, if matt can do it, so can you." aquaria said like she was talking to a child before taking a sip of her water.

"that's supposed to be offensive, but i can honestly care less. she has a point." matt reasoned and took a bite of the pasta that aquaria had cooked. 

"matt, you're supposed to be on my side." jason reminded. 

"you're acting like i'm gonna break up with you. i'm not that cruel." matt said back, poking out his tongue at jason.

"yes you are," both jason and aquaria said in unison, causing them all to laugh. 

"hey, i heard that raja might be getting fired from the roxy." aquaria said, changing the subject.

"what?" jason asked. "as in our roxy? the roller skating place?" he asked in disbelief. 

"now who the hell is gonna make us an icee after we skate? she was the raddest there." matt said and pouted. "why's she even getting fired?"

"yep, she was caught handling drugs last week. they don't wanna take any chances with it." aquaria said and sighed in disappointment. 

"well, when we go tomorrow, we'll just have to see if she's there or not." jason reasoned.

"i hope her replacement is someone like her. i don't want an uptight dick taking her spot." matt said.

"i mean, who knows. maybe her replacement can be aquaria's new girlfriend." jason teased.

"yeah, right. miracles happen to people who deserve them- not to homos. especially not to people like me." aquaria said and scoffed, taking a bite of the food from her plate.

"now, what kind of bullshit just left your damn mouth?" jason asked rhetorically. "aquaria if anyone deserves happiness, it's you. you're the most caring, nice, and giving people i know. you got matt and i on our damn feet when we hit rock bottom. my ass worked the corner and he lived on a fucking bench. don't start preaching that you're undeserving of something good." he lectured.

"i mean, look how far you've come! look how far you got us. aquaria, if anyone's gonna swoon the girls, it's you. not only are you literally the best person we've met, but you're hot!" matt added.

aquaria scoffed, entertained by her friends' passion of how much they love her. "that's nice of you guys, really. but if you really wanna make me think i deserve happiness, you two should do the dishes tonight." she said.

jason and matt looked at each other and matt hissed in air. "you see aquaria, we love you but maybe not that much."

aquaria chuckled, "figured." she commented, a fond smile still on her face.

[timeskip, saturday night.]

it's been a tradition for the past two years to roller skate at roxy's on saturday night. they play disco music from a few years ago, and it's just a really fun time.

they've been friends with raja since day one. she saw the new faces and asked how long they've lived in the area. then, she gave them all a free icee just to make sure they'd come back another time. 

they all drove to the roller rink together, all dressed in flashier outfits like they'd wear to the club. it was getting darker earlier as it started to reach the end of summer. the radio was playing the hit-list and the windows were down. this was the best night of the week.

aquaria pulled into the parking lot and turned the car off, smiling at her friends. "let's go." she said and opened her car door. 

matt and jason followed after her and stepped inside, immediately being greeted by the smell of pizza and the sound of the '78-'79 disco playlist. 

"adult tickets for three." aquaria said to the usual greeter woman, who handed aquaria the three tickets in exchange for $9.00

aquaria thanked her and turned around to hand the other two their tickets. the girl saw them enough to know their skate sizes and preferences.

they all took the skates and set them down at a table. aquaria went to sit down, but got interrupted by matt's gasp. "raja's still here!" he said and the other two darted their gaze to the counter.

"raja!" aquaria cheered, and the three of them jogged over to the counter together. "raja, i thought you left!" she said.

raja chuckled and shook her head, "nope, but i'm gonna be let go in about three or four days." she said.

"wait, you are?" jason asked. "why are they keeping you later though?" he asked.

"to train me." an unfamiliar voice declared and stepped into the visual perspective.

everyone turned to see the unfamiliar face that matched the unfamiliar voice. she was a bit short, but her body was still proportioned just fine. she had golden blonde hair and her long curls fell to the middle of her torso. she carried herself with confidence, her chin was lifted and her eyes were bright. 

"everyone, meet brianna!" raja said cheerfully and gestured to the petite woman who stood behind the counter near raja.


	2. ii

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> aquaria and brianna seem to run into each other at the worst times. 1986 au!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter two is here with more brianna to show off! i'd suggest having a language translator in another tab (unless you speak italian). oh also! here are the references to how craquaria looks in this story (pearlet looks like they did whilst on drag race bc that's less confusing). brianna-https://www.instagram.com/p/BtggkxLDHaA/?igshid=kkdo0bd9dmr8 and aquaria - https://www.instagram.com/p/B0aE0yNJZP_/?igshid=1vs6wq1pl5nir this chapter kicks things off, enjoy:)
> 
> lowercase intentional  
> trigger warnings: homophobia, unsupportive/homophobic parents  
> word count: 3774

[flashback, three years ago]

"jason, i'm home!" aquaria called as she carefully opened the door. "and i have a surprise!" she added. 

aquaria looked at matt and put a finger on her lips to silently tell him that she would be keeping him a secret for the next few seconds.

"did you bring home cake like i suggested over two w-" jason said mindlessly as he walked into the living room, stopping in his tracks when he saw the stranger. he looked at him for a few moments before speaking up, his attitude changing. "does he count as dessert?" he asked, changing the subject with a smirk.

"shut up, i didn't bring home someone for you to hook up with, nasty. this is matt." aquaria said and gestured to him. "matt, this is jason. he can be really forward, i'm sorry about that." she said and shot a glare at jason, who shrugged and seemed to stay unbothered.

"is he going to stay? like, stay stay?" jason asked, walking forwards a bit more so he could get a closer look at matt, keeping his expression calm and normal.

"yep," aquaria said, smiling as she found entertainment in jason's new crush. 

"i don't mind." jason said and smiled at matt, finding him attractive. "you gay, matt?"

matt scoffed, flattered by jason. "well duh. i like your hair." he said and reached out to touch jason's long brown hair.

"thanks, i like your smile." jason replied. he snatched matt's hand from his hair and kissed his knuckles. "you're welcome to sleep in my room if you'd like."

matt chuckled and took his hand back gracefully, "i'll think about it." he said. 

aquaria dramatically gagged and walked passed them, "you guys are gross! you better be quiet passed midnight, i don't wanna hear shit." she threatened.

"who said we were gonna have sex?" jason asked, taken aback by aquaria's claim.

aquaria raised an eyebrow, "jason, you'll let any guy fuck you. literally, i'm not stupid."

jason shrugged, "she has a point." he whispered to matt.

"seems like it." matt agreed.

[current time]

the crisco disco is a good gay bar in the manhattan area of new york city. it's not as busy as the stonewall inn- although that doesn't mean that aquaria, matt, and jason won't go there every so often. bars were still occasionally raided, just not as much as they were about a decade ago.

aquaria liked the music and she liked the people, it was just a better atmosphere. 

"do you have to do that right next to me?" aquaria asked and flicked the back of matt's head to get his attention. she didn't mind them kissing, but it was another thing when she heard the wet lip smacking.

"you're just jealous," matt said as he turned to aquaria. he had his arm around jason's waist and pulled him closer as he looked her in the eye with a cocky smirk.

"say what you want." aquaria said and chuckled, "i might find a girl tonight, i haven't had any good pussy in a while." she said and winked at her friends. 

"well, you're the hottest bitch here." jason commented and reached up to sloppily kiss matt's cheek. "have fun, babe." he said to aquaria.

aquaria chuckled and got up, "something tells me you're gonna have a tad bit more fun tonight." she said and rolled her eyes playfully before walking away.

she wandered over to the bar and took a seat at an empty section. aquaria put her elbows on the counter and rested her face in her hands while she looked down. she didn't know if she should actually try to charm somebody tonight, but maybe if she gets a bit of a confidence boost she will.

aquaria was fine with being alone. even though she's the fun, perky, energetic friend- she's a calm soul as well. her mind wandered as she sat in her silence, minding her business.

she thought of her memories, good and bad. she did that a lot, she liked reminders. she liked to remember how far she'd come, she liked to see her own progress as a woman.

[flashback, nine years ago]

aquaria was seventeen and still in high school. she was a ball of energy, and her happiness was nearly overwhelming. she could care less about drama and she had a good life.

she was still living in new york city, although in the queens borough (rather than manhattan). 

aquaria had just walked back from hanging out with her friend. she always walked down to her house after school, it was an everyday thing. it was part of her routine. 

her friend was special, she really liked her. in a way that a girl shouldn't like another girl. she just couldn't help herself. the way her long red hair laid over her shoulders, and the way her nails would tap against the table when she would be doing her homework. the same nails that would scratch down aquaria's back when she'd get lucky.

the way that her cherry chapstick tasted when she let aquaria kiss her for the first time. and now she would never look at any tube of chapstick the same. 

aquaria and her never had sex, but they tended to get careless and heavy when they would kiss each other. they would feel each other's heartbeat pound and aquaria would get shaky from the adrenaline overdose. 

her fragile fingers would shake when she would put her hand out on her friend's bed to balance herself. her stomach would feel tickly. her cheeks would get rosy. her breath would get heavy. 

aquaria's head raced and she walked faster down the street. except this time she didn't leave her friend's house with the same joy and comfort. today she left with fear and anxiety creeping in every part of her mind. she felt sick and that only caused her to feel more shameful of the pleasure she got from girls.

aquaria looked up when she reached her driveway, feeling more and more anxious every time she took a step forward. when she got to her front door, she looked at her reflection in the glass. she hadn't realized that she was crying, and it made her mascara run down her pale cheeks.

she knew her parents were home, seeing the cars in the driveway. aquaria took a deep breath and wiped her cheeks and eyes, opening the door into her home.

the moment she stepped in, she saw her father with his arms crossed, expecting her presence. aquaria took a step back immediately and pressed her back against the door. she saw her mother standing behind her father, seeming more pitiful than angry.

"h-hey guys." aquaria stammered and her lips involuntary twitched into a smile.

"come here." her father spoke in a thick italian accent.

aquaria stalled for a bit, but nodded. she dropped her backpack on the ground and walked into her house to stand in front of her father. "yes, papa?"

"i got a call." he said, "from kameron's parents."

aquaria whimpered, knowing what was to come. she inhaled sharply and felt a warm tear spill down her cheek. "i didn't mean to, i- i don't know- it just happened. please-" she begged, but got shut up when she felt her father strike her across the cheek.

aquaria fell to the ground and held her face. her eyes widened as she looked at the ground, "dio mio." she said to herself in her native language and started crying harder.

"non avrò degli omoschi a casa mia!" aquaria's father yelled, only to be pulled away by his wife.

"calm down," she told him, her accent thick as well. 

"i will not be calm!" he returned. "my daughter will not be one of those homos- one of those dykes. if she wants to kiss girls that bad, she will be on the streets!" he ordered.

aquaria stood up and tried to take deeper breaths. "papa, i'm only a kid!" she begged. "mama won't let you."

with that, aquaria's mother stepped forward and sighed in disappointment. "i love you dearly, but maybe it's best." she said. "sei in colpa." she told her daughter in native tongue, regretfully.

aquaria backed away once again, looking at who she now thought to be strangers. "cowards! all of you!" she yelled. "non sei buono. genitorialità terribile. fanculo a tutti voi!" aquaria spat and stomped upstairs heatedly to get her things.

maybe she would be better off on her own. then she could kiss all the girls she wants- shamelessly.

[current time.]

aquaria snapped out of it when she heard the clink of a glass being set in front of her. she looked up and smiled at the male bartender. "hey, i-" she spoke, but got cut off by him.

"from the girl down there." he said before walking off.

aquaria picked up the drink and examined it before taking a sip. she looked down the row of seats and met eyes with a stranger. her skin was dark but her smile was pearly white. 

"nice," aquaria muttered to herself and took another sip of the drink, changing her mind about what she'd do with herself tonight.

after downing the drink, aquaria got up to introduce herself to the woman, taking a seat next to her. "hey, i'm aquaria." she said and offered a smile.

"asia." 

aquaria nodded, "you seem li-" she started, but got cut off, once again. except this time it was by one of her friends. 

"aquaria, emergency." jason said and pulled on her denim jacket to get her attention.

aquaria snapped her head in jason's direction, "what?" she asked pointedly, clearly busy.

"i can go if-" asia offered.

"you're fine, stay there." aquaria told her sweetly.

"no baby, you're leaving." jason declared and grabbed aquaria by the wrist and pulled her off the chair.

aquaria scoffed and got up anyway, angrily pulling her wrist from out of jason's grip. "what the fuck do you want?" she snarled.

matt and jason shared a look with each other before matt decided to be the one to speak up. "raja's replacement is here." he said seriously.

aquaria chuckled, "no she's not. now if you'll excuse me, i-"

"we're being serious!" jason snapped. "matt and i were near the bathrooms, right? next thing you know, the blondie comes out of the women's bathroom. she's hand-in-hand with some girl and pulls her into the coat hanging closet before shutting the door. we both saw it."

"that could've been anyone." aquaria said dismissively. "there's a lot of blonde women in new york, let it be." she said.

"fine then." jason said and crossed his arms. "go by the bathrooms and wait for her to come out so you can see for yourself."

"watch me." aquaria said and walked to the other side of the bar with her head high. she looked at the closet and held her breath, but heard nothing from the other side of the door. she stood for maybe thirty seconds before growing impatient. she took off her denim jacket and strutted to the closet, swinging the door open.

right then and there, she made eye contact with a short, blonde woman. the same one she saw nearly a week ago. she had her hand down some girl's pants and she had a smirk on her face, caring less that she got caught. she paused though, at least having some dignity.

"my bad," aquaria said without a care in the world and grabbed a hanger to put up her jacket.

"you wanna join us, sunshine?" the familiar woman asked, leaning forwards to be closer to aquaria. she must not notice her.

"i'll pass, dude." aquaria said and shut the closet door once she walked out, her jaw practically on the floor.

"and you didn't believe us." matt taunted, glaring at aquaria since him and jason had followed her after a while. "should we ask her when we go to the roxy tomorrow?" he asked.

aquaria chuckled, "i'll take care of that."

[timeskip, next day. at the roller rink]

aquaria was kinda on edge. maybe she didn't think the situation at the bar through. she had forgotten the girl's name, and so has jason and matt. and now she had to face her and see how she would react.

"i think her name was becky." matt said and played with the sleeve of his boyfriend's jacket while they sat, waiting to get their icees dropped off at their table.

"i don't think." aquaria said, "it did start with a b though."

"do you think raja knew she was gay?" jason asked.

"no idea, j." aquaria told him and gave an honest shrug. they didn't see the blonde girl at the food/drink counter when they walked in, so they didn't know what her work schedule was.

then again the counter was empty, so maybe she could be hiding in the back or something. aquaria wasn't all that patient when it came to things like this, and she was getting pretty restless. "i'm going to the bathroom." she announced and got up from their little booth so she could leave.

"don't fall in," matt teased and waved her off as she walked away. he held jason's hand from under the table. pda was dangerous to share, especially if it happens to not be heterosexual pda. they were always careful, though.

maybe thirty seconds after aquaria left, the worker had finally dropped off their order.

"sorry for the wait, babes." the little blonde lady spoke while she sat down the three slushees, "it's my first week." she said with a small smile, looking at the boys. "is there anything i can help with?"

jason looked up and let go of matt's hand, his eyes widening when he saw who was working tonight. "oh, thanks." he said, looking at matt because they both shared the same look. 

"yeah, we haven't seen you around." matt told her, "what's your name? we're weekly regulars, so we might as well get to know each other, right?" he offered.

"oh, i'm brianna." the girl said with a warm smile.

"you can sit," matt continued, offering the empty side of the booth that was across from him and jason. 

brianna took the offer and sat down, crossing her legs. she noted the third icee, they were probably waiting on another person. "thanks."

"yep," matt returned.

"so, are you new to new york?" jason asked curiously. he was glad that brianna didn't recognize him and matt from the bar. though when aquaria came, that'd be a different story.

"yeah, my high school friend needed a roommate here and called me. her dad owns this place, so i would've gotten an easy first job." brianna explained 

"and where did you move from?" matt asked, raising en eyebrow. he had hoped it was a bigger town with a lgbt representation. anything- los angeles, san francisco, las vegas, chicago. he'd take anything.

"california." brianna responded, clearing her throat. "i don't rea-"

"-hey guys," aquaria said as she came back. "..oh."

brianna stopped talking as she made eye contact with aquaria. "fuck," she whispered and looked down. "i gotta go." she said and slid out of the booth. on her way out she bumped into aquaria accidentally and turned around to look at her.

aquaria chuckled and raised an eyebrow, "cat got your tongue?" she asked playfully before sitting down at the booth. "well she's not cocky like she was last night." she pointed out and took a sip of the cold drink that sat in front of her.

"by the looks of it, aquaria. she probably doesn't want to fucking lose her job. she's probably scared that we'd report her or something because we want raja back." jason pointed out. 

"who said we were gonna report her?" aquaria said, furrowing her eyebrows. "jason, you know how i feel about shit like this. she's gay, she doesn't know her way around her york, she looks like she has a bit of a barrier up. do you really think i'm the type of person to stress her out even more?"

"yeah jason." matt told him and chuckled, shoving him playfully in the seat.

"guys, be serious." aquaria told them and broke a smile. she shook her head in disbelief before starting to talk again, "look, we're her friend. no matter what happens, she's one of us. we're gonna protect her."

"that sounds a little gay, aquaria." matt pointed out and smirked, leaning forward. "tell us, you think she's mighty fine, huh?" 

aquaria looked unamused, but the pink creeping onto her cheeks said otherwise. "i don't fancy everyone i make eye contact with." she said shortly.

"oh my god, she thinks brianna is cute!" jason said, ganging up on her as well.

"shhh!" aquaria hissed. "shut up, i'm just trying to be a good friend. she's attractive, yes. and if i had the chance, i'd buy her a drink, yes. happy now?"

"yes." both jason and matt said in unison.

"so, what did you get out of her?" aquaria asked.

"well, she's new around here. an old friend needed a roommate. i'm guessing it was monét, the owner's oldest daughter. she's been around here a lot, and she seems brianna's age." jason explained. "she's from california, but didn't specify where. my bet is la or san francisco if she's a lesbian floating around bigger cities."

"yeah, especially san francisco." matt said. "there's homosexuals fucking everywhere, their population is huge there. i lived on the east coast before i moved here, or else i would be over there." 

"yeah, good point." aquaria said, "so, brianna?" she asked, tapping her nails on the table. "do you think we can find her around anywhere else?" she asked.

"i mean, we saw her at the bar last night. she has to know a little night life around here, then." matt reasoned.

aquaria nodded, half listening as she looked at brianna working at the counter in the distance. she almost looked like a doll. her blonde hair in soft curls that was teased a bit at the top that corresponded with her pink eyeshadow and pink lip gloss. she wore the uniform, which was black pants and a shirt with the roller rink's logo on it. she chose a baby pink color shirt, and it looked pretty fitting on her. 

"hello, earth to lesbian." jason said and waved his hand in front of aquaria's face.

aquaria snapped out of it and slapped jason's hand away. "what?" she asked.

jason chuckled at how pissy she could get that fast. "i tried to tell you that matt and i were going to skate, but you were too busy staring at your new obsession."

aquaria scoffed, "oh please. i was just staring off in that direction." she said passively.

"uh huh, sure." jason said back. "catch up, don't be staring all night." he said before skating off to the floor with matt by his side.

aquaria waved them off and looked at her skates for a moment, then looked up at the counter to brianna. she was handing a little boy a candy bar with a smile on her face, taking the money from the mother.

aquaria looked up at the clock and nodded to herself, knowing she had more than enough time. she took a dollar from her purse and walked up to the counter. "a bag of recees pieces." she said and put the money on the table.

brianna looked at the money then back up at aquaria. her demeanor has changed, she looked less scared shitless and more herself. herself as in how aquaria remembered her. she had a confident aura nonetheless, with her chin high and her knowing eyes. "if you're gonna get me fired, you don't have to butter me up first, sunshine." she said, unamused while she took the dollar and opened the cash register to put it in.

"what makes you think that my friends and i wanna fire you?" aquaria asked, unsure of her intentions.

brianna crouched down to grab the bag of candy that aquaria wanted. when she stood up, she put the candy in front of her so she could take it. "i'm the replacement for your best friend. you can out me and easily get me fired."

aquaria scoffed and took the candy. she gathered her thoughts for a moment and heard madonna's material girl playing in the background along with incoherent conversations, laughs from children and teens, and the sounds of the tiny wheels skating on the smooth wood.

"brianna, i'm kinda offended that you think i'm selfish." aquaria told her. "people like us? we got to stick together. there's too many people in this fucking world out to get us. too many homeless kids on the streets, too many bar raids, too many undercover cops, too many close minded people, there's too much bad in this damned world. me and you? we're the same. me and my friends? we're the same. i took them in when they had nowhere else to go, and the fact that-"

"-okay, i get it." brianna said, an amused smile placed on her lips. "i'll admit, i doubted you for a bit, i'll admit to that. but i think you're a good person, i didn't think that there were genuinely good people here, but you proved me wrong." she said. brianna leaned forward on the counter, her elbows resting on the surface. "what's your name?"

"aquaria." she answered, noticing the cockiness that carried with brianna's body language and voice.

brianna nodded thoughtfully, "and your friends?" she asked.

"the one with the long dark hair is jason, the dirty blonde quieter one is matt." aquaria told her.

brianna nodded again, looking up at aquaria, "you know, i've never been to the stonewall yet." she said.

aquaria's eyes lit up, seeing the offer that was put on the table. "it's a busier bar because of the history, but i'll take you down sometime." she said. "here, what's your address? i'll pick you up tomorrow- if you don't work."

"no, that seems rad." brianna told her, smirking and sitting up to get a pen. she peeled off a yellow post-it and put her apartment address and door number. she handed it to aquaria and smiled, "don't keep me waiting."

"i don't think i will," aquaria told her and took the post-it, sticking it onto the wrapper of the candy. "i'll see you around, right?"

"of course you will, sunshine." brianna told her before turning around to get back to work.


End file.
